I don't know about other cities and towns, but our city has a recycling center right in the middle of town. They have a drive through type operation and employees right there to take your goods and to put it in the proper containers. We recycle paper, plastic and glass, cardboard ... they do take other things too and they have special days where they take hazardous materials and special days for electronics and things like computer monitors...In the city they furnish bins and pick up...I live in the country and we have to take ours to town...

The subject tho was Classico jars...I started using them long before I didn't know I shouldn't and I have never had a problem...even in the pressure canner. Now that I know about the PC issue I will perhaps just use them for BWB.

I have to say that the classico jars seem much like regular canning jars to me, they are even heavier than some of the regular canning jars I've bought so I am not scared to pressure can in them. Not all classico jars have the right threads to use for home canning with the standard canning lids and rings but those that are the right size and thread, get used for canning by me! I think perhaps classico may be willing to spend a little extra on their jars just because many people will buy their brand to get the jars, I know I do.

I don't re-use lids and anyone who does I hope understands the risks they are taking and pays attention whenever they open a jar to make sure the seal was good. As to re-using other jars, we use them to store dry stuff mostly and I suppose I might risk using any jar that the rings and lids fit when I run out of jelly jars during harvest season but I understand that I might have to clean up a mess if the jar breaks.

The ball lids have been using silicone as the seal for many years now. They don;t dry out or crack like the old days. Many pasta jars have a longer neck and the threads are further down, requiring a cap which has a taller thread area. Kerr lids used to have a wider seal area. Because they are all Ball now, the are the same as Ball. Canning pumpkin? Not good, its too dense and is not recommended for home canning of any kind. Locally here, there is a big plant that takes all the local trash and sorts through it. They burn what they can, and it also makes electricity for the plant and our town. Very little goes to a land fill, and we do have big plastic tubs for the recycled stuff too. Mass also has bottle (plastic and glass) and aluminium can deposits on all carbonated beverages.

I grew up in Michigan, one of the first places with the bottle deposit. I can't tell you how disturbing it was for me when I moved away from there and discovered I couldn't get money back after having a party!!!!!!!!!

As to canning pumpkin or winter squash, yes it can be safely canned in a pressure caner. But only CUBED!!!!!! DO NOT MASH or PUREE.

Back to recycling, my college roommate grew up in a town where the waste contractor did do the conveyor type garbage sorting and a very high % of the recyclables were recycled. I currently live in a county where only cans, glass, two types of plastic and paper are even recycled while the neighboring county even collects batteries with their recycling. I suppose it all depends on the regulations and the cost of landfilling in the local area.

I use them for my bread and butter pickles as they do not have to be canned. They only go into the refrigerator and sit for a month to enhance the flavor. They must then be stored in the refrigerator.

Linda

I can in Classico jars too. I noticed that they have changed the threads on them in recent years, on the 24 oz size and now lids don't seem to fit properly. I usually use my vintage ones for canning fruit in the BWB. I also use smaller, thinner jars my Mama had for jellies, but most producers have changed the opening size so lids don't fit them anymore. I suspect simply to keep people from canning in them, perhaps afraid of liability? Who knows.

Our county does have a decent recycling program, but they've gotten very picky lately about what they will recycle. For instance they'll only recycle plastic beverage containers. Only corregated cardboard. When I'd visit my mother in town, I have also seen people carefully set out their recycle bins only to have the garbage men throw their contents into the truck. Not always, but occasionally. I'd like to see all food containers be standardised with easily removed labeling, so that every item you buy from a market comes in an easily recyclable package. That makes too much sense, so it'll never float.

Some years ago, my dad would by store bought grape jelly in small 6 ounce drinking glass jars with a pry off lid. They were printed with Flintstones characters. May be collectors items today, but certainly not reusable for canning. The main reason commercial canning is changing thread designs is to avoid the patent issues and to discourage the reuse of their jars. Home canning temps are always on the sudden high side and sometimes for much longer perioids of time. The commercial jars have very little heat resistance, and can crack and shatter if they are exposed to wide sudden temp changes. Food containers will never be standards as there are just too many companies out there who make these various containers and want the canning companies to use their designs. Home canning jars have also evolved from the old all glass and dome cover with wire bail, and tbose dangerous zinc lids.. It may be more practical if all the container companies used the same materials, of which can be 100% recyclable.

I really do like the 8oz Classico jars and do hot water bath can in those. I use the larger jars for dried bean & herb storage with those vintage zinc lids.

I have used them many times over. Never had a problem. I have a big pressure cooker the American 941. But they do break easier so use carefully.

It helps to collect up jars over time. Let your friends save them for you. Also try craigs list might pick some up free. And Freecycle will definitely be free. I also get a few dozen every year at the town dump where people drop them off on the side for other people to pick up.

Let all your friends keep their eyes open for mason jars and in time you will have a good supply.

I do not use the old glass top canning jars. I like the wide mouth quarts the best. But use them all.

Wide mouith jars are hard to open for a person with arthritis in the hands. With the few failures I had, I would never use any commrcially jarred product that was packed in glass jars similar to canning ones. Chemically, they are just not as sturdy and can crack and shatter under the sudden changes in heat while in a canner.

I reuse those jars in both the PC and WB - never had one crack or burst or fail to seal.

Peppi, I also reuse any jars that a lid and ring will fit on, but I usually relegate them to the boiling water bath, I have found a slightly higher breakage rate with them in the pressure canner.

I haven't had problems with sealing or with spoilage in using those jars for water bath canning either, so I just keep on doing it. The two broken jars I got last year were both Ball canning jars, not the "recycled" jars.

Annie

Where does everyone get their lids? I am new at this and have never seen any lids for sale in the store.

Dusty

By the way can I re-use the 1 piece Hermetic lid? Where do I get these lids.? or any lids please?

Lids are found at Ace and True Value stores, Walmart, some supermarkets. Right now, its the beginning the canning season so lids are hard to find. Big Lots will sell the Golden Harvest jars and lids, and you can also buy lids in boxes of 12 or cases either on eBay or through many web sites. Hermetic seal? A heat seal? What kind of canning jar is that? If its the glass dome type with wire bail it uses a rubber ring, but today, those old jars have no easy way to know if there is a good seal or not. All current Ball canning lids have a dimple that pulls in slightly once the canned item has been BWB or PC and cooled. You hear that familar ping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning lids and rings

I think maybe pepper misunderstood just a bit. Pepper they are talking about reusing just the jars above, not the lids that come on them.

The lids that come on the jars - the 1 piece ones with the pop-up buttons in the center CANNOT be re-used. You can only re-use jars that the regular Ball/Kerr/Golden Harvest 2 piece (lid aka flat and ring aka bands) canning lids will screw on to - and there are only a few of those.

As Ken said above, canning lids can be purchased anywhere canning supplies are sold.

Dave

My aunt just gave me a couple of boxes of jars which contained a dressing for cole slaw. The glass is thick and ball rings screw on nicely. I'm going to use them for jam. They are an interesting shape.

Some are of the opinion that commercial unmarked jars are "thinner" than real canning jars. Just some observations:
1. Ball sells jars without the Ball logo. The cost is the same as those with the logo. Are they less safe without the words?
2. Craft stores sell Ball jars without the logos. Some people giving gifts apparently don't want their present marred by the words "Ball". The last time I checked a craft store in my area, Ball quart jars without the words "Ball" were $3.00 each. Are they less safe without the words?
3. Weigh in Contest for thinness of glass:
a. Ball standard empty quart (32 ounce) jar with band & lid = 13.6 ounces. Year of manufacture unknown.
b. Francis Coppola Mammarella Pomodoro-Basilico empty 25 ounce jar with band & lid = 14.8 ounces (current manufacture in Napa California).
c. Classico empty quart (32 ounces) with band & lid = 16.6 ounces (current manufacture).
You all have a good week. And yes Ken, the pumpkin was pressure canned in chunks in a water pack. Great for out of season pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread.
Jim in So. Calif.

There is no other company licensed to make these home canning jars. Golden Harvest is their generic name, and the product is just slightly lower quality when it comes to defects. Ball offers the GH brand for a cheaper price, and they still meet all of the specs, except maybe a slight skew in the molding, or a tiny bubble in the glass. There is no issues with non logo jars, and they are of the same material. Many years ago, Ball used a blue tint glass and made them a little thicker, but the processes used to make them today has improved so much there is no concern about breakage. You do need to handle the jars with care when washing, and processing to avoid sudden heat changes, which could stress them. Store bought products are considered by most to use even thinner glass and in recent years they are using more plastics. You can buy smooth sided jars too, and Ball makes them in 8, 16, and 32 ounce sizes. Kitchen Krafts offers smooth sided jars, as do a few other suppliers. Then there is the 'quited crystal' jelly jar which is embossed all over, except a small oval area where a little label can be attached. There is a smooth sided 8 ounce jar too. I would NEVER buy a canning jar from a hobby crafts store, they charge 4 times the price! The brands of products you mention vary in their packaging nationally, and some can be in tall lipped jars where Ball lids would not screw on.. Here, I never use a store bought products' empty jar for home canning even if it was looking like a 'Mason' jar, which is the original shape set forth maybe a 100 years ago. Today, Mason doesn't mean the same.

I reuse the Classico spaghetti sauce and pesto jars too. I not only use them in the pressure canner, I can soup in them that has to process for an hour or more. I too, like the 24 ounce size because it's perfect for two. I guess I'm lucky because I've never had a problem.

I buy Classico specifically for the jar. I suspect their revenues will take a hit if they ever change to jars that cannot be re-used!

I test every glass commercial jar I buy, and if the canning lids or rings fit, I use them. Marie's Salad Dressing (those are the slightly odd shaped ones made of thick glass, very nice for presentation with their smooth sides), Green Mountain Gringo salsa (a local brand), and Classico jars are in my canning jar repertoire. If I ever did pressure canning, I'd only use the Ball jars. However, I've never had a commercial jar break in a boiling water bath.

Also, it makes me feel better about giving gifts to people who aren't "returners" when they're in these jars!

Most of my canning jars are returned. My friends and family know I am particular about having my 24 oz. Classico jars returned. They are a favorite for my Dill Pickles.

Does the same apply for the pickled cucumber/pepper jars (eg Mt Olive or Vlassic)?

Vlassic uses lug type lid jars. In some areas the jar type can differ depending on the availablity for a source thats nearby the canning plant. I have never seen Mt. Olive here.

Mt. Olive is a brand familiar in the south. I haven't seen that brand in stores here. Vlassic and Mt. Olive both have the lug closures. The glass in both doesn't seem as strong as the Classico jars.

I looked up on the Classico webpage and they do not recommend re-using their jars for home canning due to a coating that is on the glass that could get scratched or degraded somehow, and would compromise the integrity of the glass regarding canning scenarios. It apparently is not the same type of tempered glass that standard canning jars are made of. It also says that their current jar is of a lighter weight.

I'd hate to chance it and lose the ingredients I so painstakingly processed to a few shards of glass.

I certainly could see using them for kitchen/fridge storage, but I'd be leery for canning.

I reuse commercial jars (pints/24 oz/quarts) with success for water bath canning only but they have to be subject to as little thermal shock as possible indicating they always must be hot packed and also not rattling against other jars while processing.

As for jars without standard grooves but have a 70 MM opening. Save the lug lid of the original jar to use as a clamp over the standard lid when processing and to store contents when opened.

It is ashame that there are no 24 oz size canning jars as I find the size ideal especially for salsa.

Salsa wouldn't be safe to can in that size anyway.. only the size of jar listed on a safe canning recipe. Never safe to use a larger jar than specified.
There are jars that size, but they are older and hard to find. I have some by Ball. They are standard canning jars. Normally I can only find in the thrift stores.

I wouldn't reuse those "one trip" jars for canning. Not a large enough sealing surface on the rim of the jar. They are more rounded and therefore not as thick of an area to seal. The glass is thinner.
They are not selling you a canning jar, just something to put the food in to sell you the food. They are meant to be thrown away or recycled, but not as canning jars.

a few years back I querried Classico and they said the jars are one-use because of a coating they put on for strength. I assumed then that the coating would wash off during processing.

That said, however, I do save and use the smaller Classico pesto jars for refrigerated chutneys, etc. They're a great size for gifting and the price is right. I do not use them for the freezer --too thin.

Kay

I reused a jar from a local farm (1-piece lid) to store apple butter in the fridge. I didn't process it. I save past, PB jars, etc. for storing paint, mixing thinner and polyurethane, shellac, cleaning brushes. The lids may not seal tight enough for reuse for food, but they do seal better than 1/4 full gallon paint cans! The mayo jars may be weakened from the repetition of banging a knife/spoon against the sides to scrape the mayo out.

I'd like the recipe for fridge pickles - would try that in a PB jar.

We have "single-stream" recycling picked up every other week. I sure do hope they pick through and recycle everything. We generate more recyclables (incl. deposits, which we bring back to the store) than we do trash. But we compost a lot. Once DD can make it through the night w/o a Pullup, our trash will go down dramatically!

I had saved some pasta sauce jars that looked just like regular canning jars, down to the markings on the glass. Last week I had them washed and sterilized, packed full of pickles and brine, ready to go in the canner, when I discovered that the lids wouln't fit and I had to start all over. GRRRRRR!!!!
By the way, when canning acidic foods I always make sure to use only the Ball lids that have the white coating on the underside. Those Golden Harvest ones are plain metal. A friend had used those on her chili sauce and they rusted all the way through.

I have successfully reused the pasta lids and jars for hot pack jams. I know this isn't the accepted way to do things so don't lecture. :) I check each lid before using and damaged lids are used for dry or short term storage. They reseal but the coating on the inside of the lid gets damaged.

No plans to "lecture." Jam isn't an issue anyway. Worst case a jar breaks or maybe the jam molds but not a big deal with jams and their short processing time.

Carol

I love this thread. thanks to all who posted. it helped me a lot! i emailed both heinz company and classico and asked what the coating was, if the jars were okay to use for water glasses and go thru the dishwasher and where they were made. i will put info here if either site replies.

I have found that refrigeration of anything i 'can' works for much longer than is recommended. whole fig compote using only sugar and some pectin lasts two plus years just refrigerated (i use with baked pork chops); grape jelly the same. i did reuse the classico jars before i went to their site and saw the bit about coating.... but im not heat processing...btw - i use plastic freezer bags to freeze fresh apricot and fig halves, anything that you can lay out flat then transfer to freezer bags - i cook with them so the texture isnt a problem. and i freeze cuisinarted fresh tomatos (or tomato salsa), basil, garlic. the bags are pretty air tight and i line the garlic and basil ones with wax paper bags and you can just break off chunks of basil or garlic when you need to. they last 2 + years too.

I've been using them for hot water bath canning for years, and I have not had any problems - no breakage, no problems with sealing.

I reuse them all the time EXCEPT I never reuse them to actually CAN in. Because I grow and dry so many herbs all yr, and I really love the way the herbs look on the shelf in canning jars, I reuse those commercial "canning" jars for storing my herbs and reserve the real home canning jars for canning.

I found a dozen classico jars at the dump yesterday - in the "take it or leave it" section. Score! I use them pretty much exclusively for applesauce.

Just discovered that the Classico jars have changed... they now have a non-Mason type lid and smaller width, shallower screwtop.

I am so bummed. I was willing not to use them for canning because of all the concerns listed above, but it was SO HANDY to have them the same size as canning jars.

Now my only source for lids is the red plastic ones on Marshmallow Fluff (that's still made in the USA in the jar designed by 1950's housewives). And I only use about two jars of that a year...

Classico, you've lost a customer. Your sauce is good, but a bit expensive, and I can dress up a cheaper sauce to taste just as good pretty easily... your jar was a real asset.

Hmm, I've been buying Classico in the quart jars from BJ's lately, recycling the jars b/c I don't need quarts, but saving the lids. Haven't noticed any not fitting. But I did just pick up some 24 oz jars of different flavors (Cabernet Marinara is pretty good) at grocery store, haven't opened them, maybe they've changed those lids? The cute little pesto jars always did take a smaller lid (grrr).

I use the lids all the time after I open a jar of jam. Now that I've got cukes and am making pickles I would use them too - the plastic lids from Ball just don't seal tight enough for something in brine. The plastic lids from small jars of peanut butter still work though (I think - I've been buying that in big jars with metal lids lately too).

Unfortunately Heinz Foods is switching out its Classico pasta jars so we CANNOT use the lids or jars any longer. They are going to a lug style lid so the used jars and lids are worthless for anything.
The 1 piece Classico lids were wonderful for fridge storage of canning jars. The Ball plastic caps DO NOT seal good enough for brines for sure and if they fall out of the fridge (like one did last week in my overstuffed fridge), the plastic cap broke one side of the threads off - and boy, the plastic is really thin. No such problems with the Classico as it is metal.
I noticed at the store last week that I can still find the "canning type" jar and lids but you have to look carefully. And my guess is that you will have to look quickly as they are apparently using remaining stocks of old profile jars before going to the ones we cannot use.
Thanks Heinz! I will no longer have any reason to buy Classico. I used to even pay a premium for them because I could use the lids and jars. As said above, I have used them for pressure canning for years without a single broken jar. And after you opened them, you had a one piece canning jar lid for the fridge (note - never canned with the Classico lid - just used for fridge storage after jar open).
Another handy American product bites the dust!
Jim in So Calif

Ok,my rants...
Probably made in China, anyway.. I never have looked to see where they were made, or the sauce, either.
So many things are not USA made. Hmmm, even Steinfeld and other pickles are made in India !

I know that the new jars from Better Homes and Gardens and Walmart brand are from China. Just concerned about possible lead in the glass. I don't know, just wondering.I know some of the Master Food Preservers have been having trouble with the jars breaking.

Even Presto canners, made in China.
Wonder why we have such high unemployment.

Lodge cast iron skillets, while made in the USA are not what they used to be. All bumpy surface on my new one. Used to be nice a smooth. Many of the cast iron skillets I looked at were from China.

Linda Lou,
I wonder if we "scrub" those bumps off?
I use a #8 Griswold for most frying and if I need a larger one, I use my Martin Stove and Range Company skillet for which I have a lid.
I think the Martin Company went out of business in the early 1940's, having started in the early 1900's. Don't know the year of my Griswold either. But, they have both been around for many decades.
In all those years, both have been scrubbed many times with some pretty old fashioned pot scrubbers. "Elbow grease" was never spared at the kitchen sink in the past. Maybe a few thousand scrubs with a steel pot scrubber kinda takes off those bumps.
Just a wild speculation.
Jim in So Calif

Lodge cast iron skillets, while made in the USA are not what they used to be. All bumpy surface on my new one.

Happened to see a Discovery channel show on Lodge manufacturing and they are now making and selling them "already seasoned". That is what the bumpy surface is - a factory baked on coating. CEO said it was in response to public demand - no pre-seasoning required before use and the seasoning coating lasts longer too (supposedly).

Haven't tried or seen one, just saw the show for what it is worth.

Dave

The Lodge pre-seasoned skillets look like a used black skillet but are very uniform in color. I asked my neighbor lady how she liked hers and she said she loved the pre-seasoned option that she had paid an extra $10.00 or so for.
So, if you have to buy a new one, and don't want to season, don't want the smoke, or don't want to bother, buy it pre-seasoned.
Just don't put it into the dishwasher or leave in the bottom of a soap filled sink over night. Or, you will have to do it again yourself.
Something special about the old ones however. I think that if no-one wants mine, I will be buried with them.
Jim in So Calif

HEB (Texas grocery store chain) has pasta sauce jars that are fairly sturdy, and the sides are labeled "EAGLE MASON". So, should I be able to buy mason jar lids and re-use the jars?

Newest guidance from USDA and NCHFP (I was surprised) is that if the 2-piece lid/ring fits, then you can use them for BWBing, just look for any nicks or scratches, and in the case of things like mayo jars, there may be scratches/weakening from utensils being repeatedly put in the jars - though that could be a problem with reused Ball (jelly) jars too. Just expect more failures.

Here is a link that might be useful: See page 14 about jars

If the lids and rings fit, you could re-use your Eagle Mason jars. From your picture, though, it looks like the threads aren't the same as a Ball canning jar.

I agree, it may just be camera angle, but it doesn't look like the standard lid and ring will fit. If it fits, you can use it.

I've been "recycling" those jars for canning forever, in spite of the experts saying it was not recommended. Now, surprisingly, the NCFHFP has done an about face and says it's fine for BWB, but you might experience more breakage if using them for pressure canning.

Annie

That jar uses a 1/2" wide lug lid. It will not fit a standard band but I wouldn't junk them.

If you saved the original lug lid you can successfully use the jars for canning by screwing the lug lid (which acts as a band) over a standard 70mm lid and then remove the lug lid once your contents have cooled. Never had a short or long term sealing problem. The lug lid then of course will be used for storage if required once the contents are opened.

Personnaly I reuse Classic jars for pressure canning. For the smaller jars using lug lids I just use new lids they are readily available on eBay and amazon the size is 63 lug safety button. I also use other commercial lids that use the lug lids with out any failures. I save all glass jars that I can get a new lids for. Tostitos brand salsa jars hold a pint and use a 82 mm lug safety button lids. The Fulton container company carries all the sizes for the lug lids as well. I live in the UK and Ball jars are rather expensive when you can actually find them here. I have yet to have a seal failure or jar failure.

The question was regarding Barrilla jars. Classico jars are Atlas/Mason and will fit US standard size rings and sealing lids and I have used them for years in my home canning. BUT Barilla will not fit US standard rings and lids--the mouth of their jars are smaller. I have not yet found any rings that will work. I found this site b/c I am trying to find a cource for European-sized jars, specifically Italian Barilla jars.